Content:
- Ants: Understanding Your Local Colony One Insect Species At a Time
- Basics of Identifying Different Types of Ants
- The Different Types of Ant Roles in an Ant Colony
- Lifecycle of an Ant
- What Ants Like to Eat
- Why an Exterminator May Be Necessary for Your Ant Infestation
- Types of Ants That Commonly Infest Homes, Yards, and Gardens
Ants are just about everywhere no matter where you go in the world outside of Antarctica, the cold Arctic north, and a few little islands. Talking about ant identification, with over 12,000 known species of ants, it can almost make you feel like the earth is crowded enough with these little guys alone.
In the United States, there are at least 700 different species of ants. Don’t worry though, only 25 of these different types of ants are considered pest species. So how does one learn how to identify the many types of ants? Simple, use this guide to help get yourself started in learning about the world of common ant pests in your home or garden.
This guide can help you determine what to look for in an ant species, whether they are dangerous or not, and more fun ant facts along the way. After all, the best way to get rid of any pest is to know how they live, eat, and behave.
Ants: Understanding Your Local Colony One Insect Species at a Time
Understanding what types of ants you are dealing with can help you determine which methods will work best when trying to get rid of them. Not all methods will work the same way for every ant. While some people resort to the inhumane methods of using a magnifying glass on an anthill or pouring hot metal into an ant colony, there are better ways to deal with ants that are just as effective.
Each ant species tends to have a few of its own unique characteristics whether it be their behaviors, their color, shape, size, their bite or sting, and more. Ants can be pretty interesting insects once you get past their biting and stinging habits.
While you may feel ants are a real nuisance in your home, garden, and yard they do serve a purpose. Some species of ants such as those mean Red Harvester ants are a main food source for the rare horned lizard. Other ant species help break down old trees, plants, dead animals, and insects.
Basics of Ant Identification: Types and Species
When it comes to figuring out what ant species you are dealing with it never hurts to get close and observe their anatomy.
The basic anatomy of an ant includes the mandibles (the part that bites you), head, antennae, compound eyes, 6 legs, mesosoma (the area that contains the thorax), and the gastor (the rear end of the ant that often has a stinger depending on the type of ant). Queens and males (drones) have wings on their backs.
The Different Types of Ant Roles in an Ant Colony
There are at least five major roles in an ant colony.
They are the queen, workers, soldiers, males, and even slave ants depending on the species of ant. Each plays a specific role in sustaining the ant colony.
- Queen Ant(s)
Some species of ant have multiple queens. These are the sole producers of the ant colony. They are easily recognized by their wings and are the largest of their ant colony. - Worker Ants
These are the ants you will see building around the ant hill, feeding the queen, storing food, and caring for the ant larva in the ant colony among other tasks. Worker ants are always female and are fairly small compared to the queen ant. - Soldier Ants
The other female dominant role of the ant colony. These are the ants that go out searching for food, water, insects for farming inside the colony, and protecting the colony. They often leave their trails of pheromones. These tend to be the smallest of the ant colony. - Drones/Male Ants
These are the ants responsible for mating with the queen and eventually are culled off over time. They also have wings but tend to be darker and smaller than the queen ant. However, they are larger than the other female ants in the colony. - Slave Ants
Some species of ants will raid other ant colonies and bring back those ants to serve as workers within the ant colony.
Lifecycle of an Ant
The ant goes through a typical four-stage insect life cycle. First is the mating of the queen ant with her many drones (male ants). Afterward, the male ants will die and then the queen will proceed to lay eggs. The fertilized eggs will produce female workers, soldiers, and future queen ants. The unfertilized eggs will produce drones or male ants.
Once the eggs hatch they will then become larva where they will grow, molt, and eat regurgitated food from other adult ants. When the ant reaches a certain age in the species life cycle it will then turn into a tiny pupa. After the ant is fully developed in the cocoon it will then hatch and will conduct its designated adult role in the colony.
The entire life cycle can take anywhere from 6 to 10 weeks. The average queen ant can live up to 15 years while worker ants can live up to 7 years.
What Ants Like to Eat
Most ants you see in nature are omnivorous. They tend to eat a wide range of things from motor oil all the way to other insects.
Ants will even eat other ants or their own colony members if food is scarce.
One species of ant that are known as a carnivore is the African Army ant, this ant will feed on other insects, small vertebrae, and even the unlucky sleeping human.
Leaf-cutting ants are one of the few known species of ants to be predominantly herbivorous.
For the sake of most common ants here is a list of some things they will eat:
- Anything that is sugary or sweet
- Fungus
- Eggs
- Oil
- Seeds
- Meat and scraps
- Other insects both alive or dead
- Leaves (leaf cutter ant specifically)
- Honeydew produced by nearby aphids
Why an Exterminator May Be Necessary for Your Ant Infestation
Sometimes when it comes to dealing with ants you may not have time, have a severe allergy to ants, or simply don’t want to go through the whole process of getting rid of ants. Depending on the type of ant, you, your family, and even your pets can be at risk of a deadly ant sting.
Two known ant species that can cause a severe allergic reaction for some people are the Red Harvester ant and the well-known Red Fire ants. There are cases of reported deaths related to these two ant species.
If you have a local ant enthusiast who imports ants, you may want to be extra careful when they start looking for them. Some ant species such as the Amazonian Bullet ant, the Australian Bulldog ant, and the African Army ant can all pose a severe health risk to anyone who gets stung.
In fact, the Bullet ant has the worst bite and sting in the world and can make sufferers feel like they have been shot, thus the ant’s namesake.
While some may scoff at the idea of these species of ants invading, it is not impossible considering the current worldwide illegal animal trade and regular imports/exports from these areas. A professional exterminator will know how to deal with these ants as well as quickly assess other common ant invaders.
Professional exterminators will also know how to help you prevent further ant infestations on top of getting rid of the ants in your home, garden, and yard.
Types of Ants That Commonly Infest Homes, Yards and Gardens
While there are at least 25 pest species of ants, this guide will show you most of the common ant species including the different types of fire ants.
1.) Acrobat Ants
Scientific classification: Crematogaster spp.
Appearance: Light brown to black in color, heart-shaped abdomen, 3.2 mm in length, and do possess a stinger.
Region: All over the United States
Are they dangerous? Not to humans or animals but they can cause damage to homes if infestations are left unchecked.
2.) Argentine Ants
Scientific classification: Linepithema humile
Appearance: Dark brown or black with a shiny body, segmented or oval shape, they do not have a stinger.
Region: Predominantly in the Southeastern Regions of the United States
Are they dangerous? No, they don’t pose a health risk to humans or animals but they can contaminate food.
3.) Asian Needle Ants
Scientific classification: Pachycondyla chinensis
Appearance: Brownish-black with orange mandibles, around 5 mm, and does have a stinger.
Region: Commonly found in southern states such as Alabama, Georgia, South Caroline, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
Are they dangerous? There have been cases of people suffering from severe allergic reactions to the ant’s sting.
4.) Carpenter Ants
Scientific classification: Camponotus
Appearance: Has either a combination of red or black bodies, segmented or oval shape, can range in size, and does have a stinger.
Region: Commonly found in the Northern regions of the United States but can be found all over.
Are they dangerous? They can pose a risk to the structural integrity of any wooden structure, they don’t eat wood but they will eat termites.
5.) Crazy Ants
Scientific classification: Paratrechina longicornis
Appearance: Has a dark brown or black body with a slight gray sheen, between 2.2 – 3.0 mm in length, long segmented bodies, no stinger.
Region: Can be found all over the United States, they tend to stay indoors in northern regions and outdoors in southern regions.
Are they dangerous? No, they will not pose a threat to humans or animals. They will, however, be more a nuisance and invade your home during the winter months.
6.) Dark Rover Ants
Scientific classification: Brachymyrmex patagonicus
Appearance: Medium to dark brown color, 1.6 mm in length, no stinger.
Region: Commonly found in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Nevada, and Arizona.
Are they dangerous? More of a nuisance in homes due to their love for sweets and large colonies. They can’t sting thus they are not a risk to humans or animals.
7.) Desert Fire Ants
Scientific classification: Solenopsis aurea and Solenopsis amblychila
Appearance: Have an orange color body and stinger.
Region: Texas, Arizona, New Mexico
Are they dangerous? They are related to the other fire ant species and thus can pose a risk for anyone who is deathly allergic to ant bites or fire ant venom.
8.) Field Ants
Scientific classification: Formica
Appearance: Come in a variety of colors ranging from brown, black, red, and yellow-brown, they do have a stinger, and are around 4 – 8 mm long.
Region: Mostly found in the Midwest and Northeast regions of the United States
Are they dangerous? They are able to sting causing slight discomfort. They are also carriers of bacteria and can pose a risk to humans and animals.
9.) Harvester Ants
Scientific classification: Pogonomyrmex spp.
Appearance: Comes in a variety of colors ranging from brownish-black, orange, and red, has a two-segmented midsection, long tiny hairs all over its body, the length ranges between 4.7 – 11.5 mm, and has a stinger.
Region: Predominantly found west of the Mississippi River and in the state of Florida.
Are they dangerous? They do pose a risk for those who suffer from ant allergies. Some species of these ants have reverse barb stingers that will break off in the wound similar to a bee sting.
10.) Little Fire Ants
Scientific classification: Wasmannia auropunctata
Appearance: Are small, similar in appearance to red fire ants but with golden brown body color, and have a stinger.
Region: Can be found all across the United States including Hawaii.
Are they dangerous? They are related to the other fire ant species and thus can pose a risk for anyone who is deathly allergic to ant bites or fire ant venom. However, they do not form mass swarms when stinging.
11.) Native Southern Fire Ants
Scientific classification: Solenopsis xyloni
Appearance: Close in appearance to the red fire ant except they are either black or brown in color, they do have a stinger.
Region: Are found typically in the southern regions of the United States but can also be found in Hawaii, California, and the rest of the Southwestern states.
Are they dangerous? They are related to the other fire ant species and thus can pose a risk for anyone who is deathly allergic to ant bites or fire ant venom.
12.) Odorous House Ants
Scientific classification: Tapinoma sessile
Appearance: Brown or black, segmented oval-shaped bodies, no stinger, very small in size.
Region: Can be found throughout the United States
Are they dangerous? They are not a major health risk but they can contaminate food.
13.) Red Imported Fire Ants
Scientific classification: Solenopsis invicta
Appearance: Dark reddish-brown with glossy coloring, segmented oval-shaped body, does have a stinger.
Region: This can be found in the Southwestern states of California and New Mexico, Southeastern states from Maryland to Texas, and even Florida.
Are they dangerous? The notorious fire ant has been shown to cause death in individuals with ant allergies. They are a dangerous species of ant and should be dealt with swiftly. These ants tend to swarm when their nest is disturbed so it is advised to call an exterminator to deal with any fire ant colonies.
14.) Thief Ants
Scientific classification: Solenopsis molesta
Appearance: Have a pale yellowish to light brown or dark brown, 1.5 – 2.2 mm length, uneven and rounded thorax spines, do not have a stinger.
Region: Can be found throughout most of the United States
Are they dangerous? Can carry poultry tapeworm and have proven to be carriers of other bacteria. They can pose a risk to humans and animals via contaminated food.
15.) Tropical fire ants
Scientific classification: Solenopsis geminata
Appearance: Has a slight yellowish-orange glossy body and a stinger.
Region: Found predominantly in the southeastern region of the United States and can be found worldwide.
Are they dangerous? They are related to the other fire ant species and thus can pose a risk for anyone who is deathly allergic to ant bites or fire ant venom.
